The crime Saturday was one in a spate of recent ATM thefts across the region, including two this week.

“These things seem to flare up every once in a while, and we seem to be at one of those peaks right now,” said San Diego Assistant Police Chief Cesar Solis.

Most police agencies do not track the number of ATM thefts or attempts. Six have been reported to the media so far this year, which is nearly on par with the seven ATM thefts reported in all of 2009 and eight reported in 2008.

The amount of cash kept in the machines varies, from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Thieves who stole one ATM from a Chula Vista market in 2008 got $32,000. Many use stolen vehicles to make their getaway.

“It’s over and done with in a matter of seconds, and they understand how fast the response is for law enforcement,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Jeff Maxin, who oversees investigations in Lemon Grove. “Speed is on their side.”

While some of the heists appeared to be smooth operations, others have been bungled attempts, such as the latest in National City yesterday morning.

Three men used a stolen Toyota 4Runner to smash into Plaza Bonita, wrapped a chain around the automated teller machine 70 feet inside and began pulling it through the parking lot, police said.

But the burglars were thwarted by a security guard who drove up to get a closer look. The stolen SUV sideswiped the guard’s pickup, dislodging the ATM. The thieves sped off empty-handed, and the ditched SUV was recovered on Valley Road about two hours later.

“This is a smash-and-grab that basically went wrong,” said National City police Sgt. Mike Harlan. “The suspects did not anticipate security guards even being there, and when they saw them, they took them as a threat.”

Another bungled attempt occurred in Scripps Ranch on Wednesday, when the would-be thieves cut open the back of a Bank of America kiosk with a cutting torch but weren’t able to drag the machine away in time. No cash was taken.

Even if the thieves get the machine, that doesn’t guarantee they’ll be able to access the cash. Detectives say they’ve seen crooks use every method possible to get inside — torches, explosives, crowbars, saws, sledgehammers.

The thefts leave business owners questioning whether having an ATM is worth all the hassle and expense.

Ted Baker, manager of Whole Foods Market in Hillcrest, said the store’s latest theft last month cost the business about $10,000 to repair the broken door and replace damaged products.

“It can be pretty expensive. This is the third time we’ve been hit,” he said.

When the store’s lease with an ATM vendor runs out, the store is considering putting the ATM outside instead or getting rid of it altogether.

For the Del Sol Market in Otay Mesa, the risk of having an ATM stolen is the cost of doing business.

“We’re not going to stop doing business. It’s part of life,” said Mike Zora, the market’s manager.

Last month’s ATM theft was the first for the store, and it cost about $5,000 to repair the doors and pay for the lost money and machine. The ATM has since been replaced.

The cases have proven challenging for detectives.

Often if someone does see the suspects, they are wearing hoods or gloves, police said.

And when the thieves dump the banged-up ATM days later, there are usually too many fingerprints to discern whose belong to a suspect.

One suspect who didn’t get away was George Hansel, who investigators said tried to remove a liquor store ATM with a cutting torch in Lakeside in March. He was caught in a high-speed chase four hours later after he crashed into a light pole and was bitten by a sheriff’s dog.

Another man was arrested in September after he was spotted pushing an ATM down a College Area street with a handcart.